It's the first step towards the Tigers deciding what to do with Peralta once he’s eligible to return from his 50-game suspension Sept. 26. By rule, he's allowed to work out with the club, but must return to the clubhouse and exit the field when the gates open.

At some point next week, Dombrowski told a group of reporters that Peralta will join the organization's Instructional League team, which begins workouts Sept. 19 and plays its first game Sept. 23.

Peralta, who has been working out in the Dominican Republic as of late, is expected to work out at shortstop, third and possibly second this week.

As of now, Dombrowski was non-committal as to whether Peralta would rejoin the club for its final three-game series of the year, or whether he'd be added to the postseason roster.

"There really is an obligation that comes to giving him a chance to come back and we'll make a baseball decision at some point as we get closer if we want to activate him for the regular season," Dombrowski said. "And then if we're fortunate enough to make the postseason, if he's on that roster or not."

If the Tigers decide not to reinstate him to the active roster for the final three games of the regular season, they'll need to make a move to let him go. That would likely mean the Tigers would designate the 31-year-old for assignment.

Dombrowski did make it perfectly clear that if Peralta did rejoin the roster, he would not be used as the everyday shortstop. Instead, he'd likely fill a utility role.

"I will say he has been told and we have cleared it up: He's not coming back as our everyday shortstop," Dombrowski said. "We have our everyday shortstop at this point."

Ultimately, the Tigers don't need to rush their decision. They have until Sept. 26 to finalize a plan. But, hypothetically, if you had to make a decision today, how would you handle it? Would you activate Peralta or would you continue without him?

If he's activated, the Tigers wouldn't be required to make a corresponding move to add him to the active roster, but they would need to make room for him on the 40-man.

Adding him to the 40-man roster shouldn't be a big hurdle to overcome as the Tigers could easily create a spot by transferring reliever Luis Marte to the 60-day disabled list.

Peralta, 31, was hitting .305 with 11 home runs, 29 doubles and 54 RBI over 104 games before the ban. If he's able to return to midseason form, he would -- without question -- give the Tigers another weapon at their disposal. He swings a big bat and could serve as a safeguard against any middle-infielder injuries.

Then again, Peralta is a self-admitted cheater who was involved with Tony Bosch, the director of the now-defunct anti-aging clinic in Florida. By allowing him to return, Detroit could tarnish its reputation as an organization that seemingly operates under a zero tolerance policy.

It's a tough call, and one that puts Dombrowski in a no-win situation. So, if you were in Dombrowski's shoes, which call would you make? Let us know in the comments and vote in the poll below.